Physical Education

Physical Education at ASE

Physical education at Ann Smith Elementary follows the current trend of a fitness-based program as opposed to the more traditional (and rapidly becoming outdated) sports and game program.

The goal is maximum participation for the duration of class with a minimum amount of downtime (e.g. rotating out waiting for a turn). Students exercise with gym balls, medicine balls, pieces of equipment in combination. Rather than teaching individual sport skills and games, components of physical fitness such as strength, balance, flexibility, cardio fitness, hand-eye coordination and reaction time are emphasized. With these fitness components in place, most students have less difficulty learning basic sports skills.

A large emphasis is placed on cardio fitness. Starting in first grade, students are taught how to take cardio heart readings to determine if they are exercising in their training heart zone.* Whenever a game or play activity is engaged, it must fall into one of the aforementioned fitness components or emphasize a concept such as teamwork.

To sum it up, the aim is to promote individual fitness with a fitness/exercise-oriented program.

*Training Heart Zone (THZ) is the amount of times your heart is beating per minute so that it is getting stronger (cardio strength and fitness). THZ = 22 to 30 beats per 10-second count for six- to eight-year-olds.